Airdrop on my iPhone only works if I also click the Airdrop icon on my Mac sidebar

Receive content with AirDrop

When someone shares content with you using AirDrop, you see an alert with a preview of the content and can tap Accept or Decline.

If you tap Accept, you get the content in the app it was sent from. For example, photos appear in the Photos app and websites open in Safari. App links open in the App Store so you can download or purchase the app.

If you AirDrop content to yourself, like share a photo from your iPhone to your Mac, you won't see an option to Accept or Decline. The content is automatically sent to that device. Just make sure that both devices are signed in with the same Apple ID.

Set your AirDrop receiving options

You can go to Settings > General > AirDrop to choose who can see your device in AirDrop and send you content. You can also set your AirDrop receiving options in Control Center. Here's how:

1. Swipe up from the bottom of your screen to open Control Center.
2. Press deeply or touch and hold the network settings card in the upper-left corner, then tap AirDrop. If your using iOS 10.3.3 or earlier, tap AirDrop.
3. Then choose one of these options:
   • Receiving Off: You won't receive AirDrop requests.
   • Contacts Only: Only your contacts can see your device.
   • Everyone: All nearby iOS devices using AirDrop can see your device.

If you see Receiving Off and can't tap to change it, go to Settings > General > Restrictions and make sure that AirDrop is turned on.

If you can’t see the other device in AirDrop

If you can't see the person or the device that you're trying to AirDrop to, check the following:

• Check that both of you have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth turned on. If either of you have Personal Hotspot on, turn it off.
• Make sure that the person you're sending to is nearby. You can't AirDrop to users who are out of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi range.
• If the other person’s AirDrop receiving setting is set to Contacts Only, and you’re not in their Contacts, have them set their AirDrop receiving setting to Everyone.

Use AirDrop to send content from your Mac

Tips for sending items

If you don't see the recipient in the AirDrop window or sheet:

• Make sure that both devices have AirDrop turned on and are within 30 feet (9 meters) of each other.
• If you're sending to an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch:
  • Your Mac needs to be a 2012 or newer model with OS X Yosemite or later.
  • The iOS device must be using iOS 7 or later and have Personal Hotspot turned off in Settings > Cellular.
• If you're sending to a Mac:
  • If the receiving Mac is using OS X Mavericks, Mountain Lion, or Lion, it needs to have an AirDrop window open: choose Go > AirDrop from the menu bar in the Finder.
  • If the receiving Mac is a 2012 or older model, click “Don't see who you're looking for?” in the AirDrop window or sharing sheet of the sending Mac. Then click “Search for an Older Mac.”
  • Find out if the Mac has “Block all incoming connections” turned on in Security & Privacy preferences. A Mac won't receive items using AirDrop if this setting is turned on.
• If AirDrop on the receiving device is set up to receive items from contacts only, make sure that both devices are signed in to iCloud. Also make sure that the email address or phone number associated with your Apple ID is in the Contacts app of the receiving device.

Login items are apps that open automatically when you start up or log in to your Mac. Occasionally, a login item may cause a blank blue screen at startup or other problems.

Important: To print these instructions, click the Share button in the Help window, then choose Print.

Test your login items

1. Choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click Users & Groups.

2. Click your account name below Current User, then click Login Items at the top of the window.

   Make a list of the login items—you’ll need to remember them later.

3. Select all of the login items, then click the Remove button .

4. Choose Apple menu > Restart.

5. If this solves the problem, open Users & Groups preferences again, add the login items one at a time, and restart your Mac after adding each one.

   When the problem occurs again, follow the steps above to remove only the last login item you added.

SEE ALSO
Open items automatically when you log in